Doctor of Music

The DMA in Contemporary Music program at BGSU develops versatile musicians through a concentrated focus on contemporary music. The degree is grounded in the applied study of music performance or composition, and multidisciplinary seminars in culture, digital media and music cognition. Its flexible curricular programming fosters critical analysis, creative examination, pedagogical training, professional development and traditional as well as nontraditional performing experiences. Graduates of the program have been recipients of major grants and awards and maintain leadership positions at the forefront of contemporary music around the world as performing musicians, scholars, and teachers.

At BGSU, students in the doctoral program are at the heart of the College of Musical Arts' new music specialization, serving as leaders and models for their student peers. Their projects and performances are supported by the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music (MACCM), which is devoted to the study and promotion of contemporary music. MACCM hosts the College's longstanding annual New Music Festival and other internationally recognized activities, such as concerts, symposia, sponsored research, and archival collection and curation.

The Doctor of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music with specializations in composition or performance is a four-year program that requires a minimum of 66 hours beyond the master’s degree. Any required remedial work in history, theory or research methodology will be added to the applicant’s program and will not be counted in the required 66 hours toward degree completion.

Required Coursework

  1. Specialization: Private study in composition or performance (16 hours)
  2. Cognate in one of three minor areas of study (12 hours): Culture, Digital Media, or Music Cognition

    The cognate in culture emphasizes aesthetics, history and philosophy. The digital media cognate is concerned with the utilization of technology in new performance and creative contexts. The music cognition cognate focuses on theory, perception and pedagogy. These are intended to be of professional use to the student.

  3. Multidisciplinary music seminars focusing on the collaborative process in the development and creation of new works and the examination of common issues in culture, digital media and music cognition (9 hours)
  4. Off-campus internship designed to develop nonacademic career options (4-12 hours)

    Because the time commitment of the internship may vary greatly, the opportunity for flexible credit exists. The individual’s doctoral committee will help determine the amount of credit that can be earned. Examples might include work in foundations, orchestral management, museums or the entertainment industry. For a list of past internships, click here.

  5. Electives in and outside of music (9 hours)
  6. Culminating experiences (16-30 hours)
    1. Composition
      1. Recital of original works
      2. Composition project (original work for large resources)
      3. A research paper that combines the individual’s major and minor areas of study
      4. A portfolio (a collection of papers written during the degree program, as well as scores, tapes and programs of works written and/or performed in addition to the required recital)
    2. Performance
      1. Three solo/chamber music/ensemble programs composed of contemporary music (at least one off-campus). In some cases a major concerto performance with orchestra may be substituted for one of the recitals. Permission for any alternative to this requirement must be secured from the doctoral committee.
      2. Research paper that combines the individual’s major and minor areas of study.
      3. Portfolio (a collection of papers written during the degree program, as well as programs and tapes from performances in addition to the three required recitals).
University Admissions

Updated: 12/01/2017 11:22PM